McGrady, Wright named co-winners of 2009 Outstanding County Commissioner Award

SOG Professor Lawrence, LGFCU President Smith also honored

By Todd McGee
Communications Director

Vance County Commissioner Danny Wright and Henderson County Commissioner Chuck McGrady are co-winners of the 2009 Outstanding County Commissioner Award. (Photos by Jason King)

Vance County Commissioner Danny Wright, an NCACC past president, and Henderson County Commissioner Chuck McGrady shared the Association’s top honor for 2009 by being named co-winners of the Outstanding County Commissioner Award.

President Elect Mary Accor made the announcement Aug. 29 during the NCACC’s Annual Conference.

Wright has served as a Vance County commissioner since 1982. He served as NCACC president in 1997-98, becoming the first Vance County commissioner to hold the office. For the past five years he has also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Counties (NACo). In addition to his state and national service, Wright has been very active in regional issues.

“He has been active with his regional council of governments, bringing county and municipal officials together to solve problems that cross those boundaries, such as economic development and transportation,” said Accor, a Cleveland County commissioner. “His integrity is well-known, and his steady forthright leadership has benefitted his county and all of our counties together.”

McGrady has been a Henderson County commissioner since 2002. He has been an active participant with both the NCACC and NACo, and served as co-chair of the NCACC’s Environmental Steering Committee in 2008-09. He also serves on the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund, and was one of two county representatives appointed to the 21st Century Transportation Committee – a blue ribbon panel that made recommendations last year to the governor and the General Assembly on transportation reform and funding.

McGrady is also active regionally. He chairs the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization, which does transportation planning, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Land-of-Sky Regional Council, which is composed of representatives of local governments in a four-county region. Before moving to Henderson County, McGrady served as a county commissioner in Georgia.

“It is a pleasant surprise and an honor to receive this recognition from my peers – county commissioners from across the state,” said McGrady. “I guess I’ll have to redouble my work on behalf of Henderson County to justify the faith my colleagues have expressed in me.”

The Outstanding County Commissioner Award has been presented annually since 1967. It is named in honor of M.H. “Jack” Brock, a former Harnett County commissioner who served as NCACC president in 1973-74 and who won the award in 1981.

School of Government’s Lawrence earns Distinguished Service Award

David Lawrence, who will retire from the UNC School of Government at the end of the year, was honored with the Association’s Distinguished Service Award for providing more than four decades worth of legal advice and guidance to counties.

SOG Professor David Lawrence has served as a valuable resource to counties for more than 40 years.

The award, established in 1970, is given from time to time to a person other than a county official who, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, has rendered a truly outstanding and distinctive service to the cause of improving local government above and beyond his usual duties or occupation.

“In a career that has lasted over 40 years, Professor Lawrence has provided exemplary service, distinguishing himself as the ultimate expert in North Carolina on such issues as property tax law, budgeting, annexation, incorporation, ethics, open meetings and public records – the list goes on and on,” said Accor. “He has written numerous articles and books on local government revenues, budgeting and fiscal control, capital finance, annexation, local government property transactions, governing board procedures and economic development.

“It is a rare question indeed that you could pose to David Lawrence that he would not be able to answer.”

Lawrence joined the School of Government in 1968, at a time when most counties did not have full-time county attorneys. He quickly established himself as a resource for local governments on such issues as annexation, incorporation, public records and open meetings, property taxes and budgeting.

“Working at the School of Government has to be one of the great jobs there is,” Lawrence said. “One of the parts that I took great pleasure in over the years was teaching in our courses for elected officials. It has consistently been the most enjoyable teaching I have ever done.

“As you get near retirement, which for me comes in four months, two days and 15 hours, you find deeply satisfying the recognition and appreciation from people you have worked with. I am deeply grateful for it. It has been a great ride, and I wish you all success.”

Lawrence is the 13th person to win the award since its inception.

LGFCU’s Smith honored with Friend of the Counties Award

When Ralph Ketner announced that he would no longer be able to continue funding the Association’s Employee Productivity Awards program, NCACC Executive Director David F. Thompson didn’t have to go far to find another organization willing to sponsor the awards. All he had to do was walk across Jones Street to the offices of the Local Government Federal Credit Union and speak with LGFCU President Maurice Smith, who eagerly jumped at the chance to sponsor the awards program.

LGFCU President Maurice Smith receives the 2009 Friend of the Counties Award from NCACC 2009-10 President Mary Accor.

“Given the program’s popularity among county employees – and the widespread transfer of winning best practices among county governments – we are happy to assume corporate sponsorship and support this mission to help county governments thrive,” said Smith.

Due to this kind of support, the Association’s Executive Officers voted to bestow the 2009 Friend of the Counties Award to Smith and the Local Government Federal Credit Union. The presentation was made Aug. 29 during the President’s Banquet.

Smith has served as LGFCU president since 1999. Smith has taken numerous steps to advance the LGFCU’s philosophy – to improve the lives of members of the community using financial services as a catalyst to spur economic development and create opportunities for jobs, retail and quality affordable housing.

Smith received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UNC-Wilmington in 1979, and later went on to earn a juris doctor degree from N.C. Central’s School of Law in 2005.

“Their commitment to bettering county government is unmatched,” said Accor. “They have been a strong partner with the Association in our training and education initiatives for the past six years. They make available more than $60,000 per year in financial scholarships to local government employees and elected officials to further their education at various schools and programs offered by the UNC School of Government.

“The Local Elected Leaders Academy, the Essentials of County Government and the Public Executive Leadership Academy have all benefitted from the scholarships funded by this year’s recipient.

“They also serve the financial needs of local government employees, elected officials, volunteers and their families with a variety of banking and financial services.”

In addition, the Association presented awards to Davie County Clerk to the Board Brenda Hunter as 2008-09 Outstanding Clerk of the Year, and Brunswick County Attorney Huey Marshall as 2009 Outstanding County Attorney.

Three commissioners – Granville’s Tony Cozart, New Hanover's Bobby Greer and Surry's Jimmy Miller – were each honored with a Long-Time County Service Award for service as a county commissioner for at least 20 years.